Laura Sayre

Initiated in 1981, The Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial® (FST) is the longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional farming systems in the US, and one of the oldest in the world. What began as a 5-year controlled study of what a typical American grain farmer would go through to give up chemical fertilizers and pesticides has matured into a complex, interdisciplinary, collaborative project that will be continued indefinitely.

Data from the Rodale Institute's long-running comparison of organic and conventional cropping systems confirms that organic methods are far more effective at removing the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere and fixing it as beneficial organic matter in the soil.

At colleges and universities across the country, students are finding--and founding--opportunities to make sustainable agriculture part of a well-rounded education. Many go on to farm organically in real life.

From one-week volunteer farm stays to three-year diploma courses, the world of international organic ag training opportunities is growing fast.